Creative festival embraces a lifestyle of love

Featuring live band performances, a creative bazaar as well as all kinds of exhibitions, the 2012 Creative Life Festival (創意生活節) is currently being held in Taichung, and all local citizens and visitors are invited to come and appreciate creative lifestyles.

The 23-day festival that runs under the theme of "Love & Life" at the Taichung Cultural & Creative Industries Park (台中文化創意產業園區) is joined by 36 local and international bands, including some of the most famous indie bands in Taiwan — Tizzy Bac and Kou Chou Ching (拷秋勤).

Don't just walk by the huge 60-plus-stall creative bazaar, where many of the latest locally made and developed cultural and creative products are on display, since you may find something that is both practical and eco-friendly.

Another highlight of the festival is an exhibition that spans around 1,000 square feet. The curator of the exhibition, Ben Lin (林琮然), said the hall is divided into three major sections and themes: life, environmental care and travel. The themes are explored behind 30 doors.

Lin called these the "Anywhere Doors" (任意門), a concept inspired by famous Japanese comic book character Doraemon and his best-known gadget of the same name, which allows users to travel to any place they wish.

Visitors can freely travel between the different areas of the exhibition hall by opening the doors that lead them to one amazing surprise after another, Lin said.

The items on display were collected from 100 people that include both celebrities and regular folk, centering on the relationship between them, the items and the story behind them, he added.

For example, there are award-winning director Tsai Ming-liang's (蔡明亮) coffee chairs, which took him years to collect while traveling around the world. Actor/model Joseph Chang's (張孝全) surf boards and bicycles are also featured in the show, Lin said. ■